Rafa Nadal not yet the King of Clay again, but ghosts of self-doubt look exorcised

Ahmed Rizvi writes that at the Monte Carlo Masters, Rafael Nadal may not have been back to his very best, but he was back at least to battling to victories.

Rafael Nadal celebrates after his semi-final win over Andy Murray at the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday. Michael Steele / Getty Images / April 16, 2016

Having just won his first Masters 1000 title in almost two years, Rafael Nadal, you thought, would have allowed himself a bigger, even ostentatious, celebration. But there were no leaps of joy, or flying fist pumps, like we saw after his semi-final triumph over Andy Murray.

Nadal, instead, sank to his knees, almost in relief, after hitting a thunderous forehand down the line on championship point.

Then he bowed his head on the dirt for a bit, before getting up and running to the net to shake hands with his opponent, the enigmatic Gael Monfils.

A bit later, he walked up to one of the courtside cameras and scribbled, “That’s for you, grandfather”, in Spanish, dedicating his ninth Monte Carlo Masters title to his grandfather, also named Rafael, who had passed away last September.

• Read more: Rafael Nadal – 'This is a great victory for me and a very emotional one' in Monte Carlo

• Also see: Rafael Nadal tastes a trophy for the first time in too long at Monte Carlo Masters – in pictures

Nadal had not won a title in the seven months since his passing away. His last, and 67th career title, had come in the first week of August, in Hamburg.

Rafa had made it to three finals since, but lost twice to Novak Djokovic (Beijing and Doha) and once to Roger Federer (Basel).

Of course, he did not have to face those two last week as Djokovic made a shock first-round exit after losing to Jiri Vesely, while Federer was knocked out by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals.

And yes, it was an unpredictable, error-strewn final that saw 34 break points created in total, with 13 taken, eight of which were by Nadal.

So, any suggestions that Nadal is back to his best would be premature. He looked nothing like the King of Clay we have known in the past and his aura has not been restored yet. Still, this win could be a significant milestone in Nadal’s career.

“This week I was able to increase my level when things became tough, like I did before,” Nadal said after his triumph. “That’s something I missed a lot.”

That difference was evident in the final set against Monfils on Sunday, when Nadal cruised through without dropping a game. It was evident in the semis as well, when he fought back after losing the opening set against Murray.

The tide probably turned in the third round, when Nadal saved 15 of 16 break points to down Dominic Thiem, the man who had defeated him in the Buenos Aires semis in February.

The Spaniard then played some of his best tennis of the past two years to beat world No 4 Stan Wawrinka in straight sets in the quarter-final. Next round, he took down the world No 2.

Last year, Wawrinka had defeated him in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters, while Murray had battered him 6-3, 6-2 in the Madrid Masters final.

So the wins over these two and, of course, the victory over Thiem, should exorcise the ghosts of self-doubts that have haunted Nadal through his long slump.

“I said at the beginning of the season, I feel much better than last year,” said Nadal. “I am still not 100 per cent, but I am much better. This victory confirms that I am better.

“I have been quite a while without winning a big tournament. I know I worked hard to have this trophy with me. I am enjoying this moment. It’s an emotional moment after some tough ones, but that’s part of the life, part of sports in general.”

There are a few chinks that the nine-time French Open champion still needs to work on. He faced 47 break points in the five matches last week, so his serve definitely needs some tweaking.

But with his confidence on the mend and composure on the return, his game will surely sort itself out.

Nadal, however, is not dreaming about regaining his clay court aura of the past.

“I am what I am today,” he said. “Rafael Nadal of 2016 will not be the same of 2009 or 2008 again. Every year is different. I don’t want to compare myself or try to analyse if I am the same like before or not.”

So, we will probably never see the King of Clay again. But Nadal is still here and ready to battle.

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